UK’s first-ever Ford GT40: for sale

Rare green 60s dream machine going up for auction later this month…

You should know everything there is to know about the Ford GT40. If not, you sure you're on the right website? This car was, after all, a bona-fide pin up of the 1960s. It also made Enzo Ferrari a little bit mad by winning Le Mans. Four times.

So this isn't the appropriate medium to begin reeling off reasons for its magnificent provenance, but rest assured it has lots. So much provenance in fact, we've found an example that could quite easily top £2,000,000 when it goes under the hammer in a couple of weeks.

It's a rare GT40 Mark I, completed in 1965, sold in March 1966 and with a roster of racing and restoration history buckled to its gorgeous curves. It's also the first ever Ford GT40 delivered to the United Kingdom; a sort of messenger boy that spread the good word about Ford's 380bhp mid V8-engined masterpiece.

It was bought by a gentleman named James Fielding from Gloucester, who - probably not coincidentally - worked for the same company that built the dynos on which the GT40s were tested. Hmmm...

Not only is it the first UK car, it's the fourth ever production car of the Mark I GT40, and came with such luggsuries as a heated windscreen, reverse lights, mirrors, two fuel gauges and leather door pouches. Leather!

It was sold in the 70s, repainted in British racing green and took part in the six-hour relay at Silverstone in '73. From there, it migrated to Australia, was rebuilt, repainted in Gulf colours (this was a correct move) and presented at the 1985 Australian Grand Prix - the event's inaugural year. It then moved to America, then to Germany, returned to Australia and then finally came to rest back in the United States. Any more cross-continent trips and it'd probably fly for free.

As you can see, it's been repainted to original spec, rebuilt, has all the paperwork and is in quite awesome condition. Prices are expected to reach over £2m when it hits the block at RM's Arizona auction, which kicks off on 18 January. Like it?